Born Ruffians

Born Ruffians officially formed in 2004 in Midland, Ontario, after frontman Luke Lalonde and bassist Mitch DeRosier, cousins, met drummer Steve Hamelin at Midland Secondary School. They initially operated under the name Mornington Drive, self-releasing an album titled ‘Makeshift Metric Catastrophe.’ In 2004, the band relocated to Toronto and adopted the name Born Ruffians, quickly gaining recognition in the local club scene for their engaging live performances and memorable songs. Their growing reputation led to a signing with British electronic label Warp Records, which handled their North American releases. This period marked their debut EP release in 2006 and extensive airplay on CBC Radio 3 for singles like “This Sentence Will Ruin/Save Your Life.”

In 2008, Born Ruffians released their debut full-length album, “Red, Yellow & Blue,” which earned an Independent Music Awards nomination for Pop/Rock Album of the year. The band toured internationally, supporting acts such as Franz Ferdinand and Hot Chip, and performing at festivals like St Jerome’s Laneway Festival in Australia. Their second album, “Say It,” followed in 2010, produced by Rusty Santos. Over the years, the band experienced lineup changes, with Andy Lloyd joining on guitar/keyboards for a period and Adam Hindle taking over drums, before Hamelin rejoined. Their 2013 album, “Birthmarks,” was a significant release through Paper Bag Records, preceded by a period of collective writing in rural Ontario and resulted in a Juno Awards nomination for Breakthrough Group of the Year in 2014.

The band continued to release albums, including “RUFF” in 2015 and “Uncle, Duke & The Chief” in 2018, the latter produced by Richard Swift. The early 2020s saw the release of a trilogy of albums: “JUICE” (2020), “SQUEEZE” (2020), and “PULP” (2021), all released on their own Wavy Haze Records and Yep Roc Records. During this time, Maddy Wilde joined the band on keyboards, guitar, and vocals, expanding their sound. Born Ruffians consistently maintained a touring presence and recently announced their ninth studio album, “Beauty’s Pride,” released in June 2025.